Tuesday, April 27, 2010

The Book of Eli

As many of us have followed the career of Denzel Washington over the past twenty years, we have always known that he was a great actor, but could he ever succeed at playing a subdued role? I am not saying that The Book of Eli is a study in nuance, but Denzel does show much restraint and I believe this helps the role and the film come off successfully. It is 30 years after earth has been destroyed leaving few survivors. Denzel remains, and walks the earth while protecting the last known copy of the Bible. He wanders into a decrepit town that resembles one out of an old Western and is soon at odds with the saloon keeper who runs the town (Gary Oldman), a man who desires to attain Denzel's precious book. The film is very violent and is shot by the Hughes brothers in a tinted manner. This is not a great film by any stretch, but is entertaining nonetheless.
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